Tessa
“Please keep an eye out if you live in the UWS because there is nothing better after a hard workout than an exceptional meal worth every calorie.”
“Next I had a half portion of the Linguini with Tasmanian paper, lemon, and Parmigiana basil reduction.”
“My favorites were the Burrata and the Cavatelli and would recommend both.”
Tessa
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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This review is for their brunch only. I came here on a Saturday morning with a reservation, so we were seated promptly. I tried the "build your own bennie" option and chose English muffins, smoked salmon and hollandaise blanch, which were a good combination. My friends really enjoyed their hangover cure (poached eggs, sausage, beans, etc. all mixed together) and french toast. Their desserts weren't bad, but passable. The service staff were very nice and attentive. Also, this place looks a lot nicer inside than it seems from the outside, so I can see it as a good date spot as well. In sum, I'm glad I've found this solid brunch spot in UWS!
Nice brunch spot.
Good menu with lots of options (eggs/toast/burger, salads).
We had the avocado toast and the "hangover cure". the avocado toast was great. The hangover sounded good on paper, but once it arrived it was basically a sancocho (soup with stuff in it). If I were hungover, looking at that would not help at all!
The place has a nice atmosphere, but not everything on the menu is good.
Ate at Tessa with some friends on a recent Saturday night – a truly lovely experience.
The atmosphere is lovely and we were seated immediately at our 9pm reservation time.
We ordered drinks – both the margarita and the el diablo were very good.
For appetizers, we had the burratta and the grilled octopus. For entrees we went with the lobster pasta, scallop pumpkin risotto, duck, and steak frites. Everything was outstanding – flavorful and well prepared.
A lovely addition to the UWS, I would go back for sure.
We came upon Tessa randomly when another restaurant we were planning to go to down the street was swamped. What a lucky find Tessa was. The interior is beautiful – dark wood everywhere and very sophisticated and elegant. A much more grown up place, which I appreciated after the zoo of a restaurant we had just left. We sat in the elevated section and had a terrific and attentive waitress. I ordered the "Most Amazing French Toast" (custard dipped Brioche, caramel apples, maple butter) and my companion ordered the "Hangover Cure" (slow poached eggs, chicken sausage, gigante beans, croutons, pancetta, grilled tomatoes).
The french toast, while amazing, was a bit too rich for me, I couldn't finish the whole thing, it was very filling too. I had a taste of my companion's hangover cure and it was delicious and I wish I had ordered that instead. Next time! There are not a heck of a lot of options if you're looking for brunch items only, but they do have some good salad and lunch items as well. Overall, very pleased with Tessa.
Yelp's categorization of Tessa as all of Mediterranean, French and Italian is ambitious. The brunch menu at Tessa seems more like run-of-the-mill American, despite the chef's creative attempts at elevating the simple offerings. Sorry, the brunch hater in me is still not buying $17 egg benedicts even when they are build-your-own with "curry hollandaise" as an option.
I got the branzino which is also on the dinner menu, and I was floored by the flavors and textures of that dish. Fish on top of yummy fingerlings should become a regular thing. I would've liked more fennel sauce and less paprika, but with a side vegetable I am willing to eat that dish for dinner every day. My mom didn't like the octopus salad because the texture of the meat was a bit dull and tasted unfresh. We both loved the house-made cherry soda.
Service was a bit lukewarm and slow even though the dining room was only half filled. But I would come back for the fish alone.
The decor up front is comfortable and charming, the food is excellent even if it's a little fussy and fancy, and the staff is appreciative, prompt, and thoughtful. The bar is an excellent place to dine and enjoy the company of a friend. The prices are a nudge past everyday or impulsive dining, but whimsically once in a while, definitely. Here's the deets (Fri 03/18/16):
Salumi board, 19 – where's the cheese? this is an interesting trend that we're seeing cheese boards and salami boards, but the mix is trailing off
Linguini with parmigiano and crunchy basil, small, 13 – we shared, it was a rich treat with al dente pasta, abundant and thick cheese shavings, and a sprinkling of crunchy basil bits. The large portion is inconceivable. We were told it was also available with black truffle.
Tessa burger, 21 – with fries, fontina, pancetta; another treat, fancy restaurant burgers are almost always fun
Sazerac rye manhattan, 16 – perfectly served up
Etna Rosso, Nerello Masc Graci (bottle), 55 – very good
TOTAL – 124
TIP – the bar can be crowded on Fri evening
BONUS – good service
BONUS – delicious bread service with butter in olive oil
SHOUT OUT to Michael at the bar for making us feel welcome, and all the other staff members who were thoughtful, concerned, friendly, and appreciative
Tessa is a cute restaurant on the UWS and my dining experience here was average. It is a good spot for a quick lunch.
It's very beautiful inside. Came here for brunch with easy opentable reservation. They offer complimentary small banana muffin, which tastes really good! The coffee is from Irving farm. You can make your own Benedict here with your own choices of bases, sauces and spinach/bacon/salmon. Pretty standard. I had the egg white frittata , which is light and nice. It came with saffron costini. Overall, a decent place for brunch in upper west with quality food and service, but not somewhere to go all the way to.